Jokemijn, Belgium, graphic design

January 9th, 2008

Partfaliaz interview Jokemijn

Jokemijn has just graduated from St. Lucas Artschool (Belgium) in graphic design and is freshly appearing on the internet with “10 000 spoons”, a new promising portfolio with great school assignments and an interesting photo diary.

Images courtesy of Jokemijn. All rights protected.

Can you introduce yourself ?
I graduated St. Lucas last summer. After 4 great years, I have the honour of calling myself a master in graphic design, typography. I live all over Belgium. By studying in Ghent, I noticed how small our country is and how strange it is we still have these boundaries of going to another province. At this moment I live in Leuven and i’m 22, but both will change in the near future.

My soul is a conference pear

Belgium is at the crossroad of europe, do you think it’s a good place for graphic design and cultural communication ?
I think in the matter of graphic design Belgium has always been the little brother of the Netherlands. The Netherlands have a history in which graphic design had the time to grow and gain respect. At ours a designer is still too often seen as someone who wants to sell
you something he likes at high cost. Everyone has a pc and everyone has these nice typefaces. Clients often know what they want, they just need someone to make it work. But this brings a positive side too, as things are slowly changing nowadays, there might be a lot of work to do in Belgium.

How did you come to graphic design ? What is your interest for art ?
I think I didn’t really know what graphic design was, I only started realising in my second year, and then it turned out I really liked it. I’ve gained this strange preference of graphic design above art. I like it when things are functional, working, when i’m able to detect the reason. When things are there in a subtle way, not trying to dominate everything with their presence.

Terra incognita

Can you tell us about studying in St-Lucas ? How was it like ? What particular “know-how” did you learn ?
When I first walked trough st.Lucas I was impressed by the building, I wanted to spend my next four years over there. I gradually got to know my teachers and their way of thinking. Jan and Randoald (And Inge and Michael) mainly taught me that coincidence is a good thing, and that contrasts (a large format for a sensitive work, an italic typeface in an unexpected
situation) ad interest to your work. Talking with them about your work was never just an average conversation, they never stuck to type, but whatever they were saying, you always had the feeling it was usefull. In a very subtle way they tried to make your personal style grow.

10 minutes in my mind

I like your site’s name : 10 000 spoons. Why did you choose it ? What does it mean to you ?
I don’t want to be average, I’d rather be a knife in a world full of spoons.

You show a very nice photo diary, what else do you like working at, what is your favorite playground ? Illustration, photo, design, conception ?
The concept is always my main game. I can’t start working on something without having it thought over entirily. Making sure everything fits, finding solutions that don’t look like solutions, but like an essential part of the work. It’s structuring information, finding your way in the chaos.

The white raven

Where do you like getting inspiration ?
It’s in everything. From the way people move to the structure of music, everything can be turned into something of interest. It’s a chain of thoughts. I often get very impressed by other designer’s work. I like to find out how other people think.

What will be your next project ?
I’d like to find the time to pick up my camera again and take more pictures.

Jokemijn’s favorites

Favorite band
An Pierlé & white velvet

Favorite movie
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind, Le fabuleux destin, House of flying daggers, Dogville, Memento, Big Fish, Me and You and Everyone we know